Swivel handle connector for household utensils



Jan. 1969 w. P. RICHARDSON SWIVEL HANDLE CONNECTOR FOR HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS Filed June 21, 1967 INVENTOR. RICHARDSON W/Al/AM I.

ATTORNE'K United States Patent Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The swivel handle connector comprises a base plate having a pair of upstanding spaced, parallel, apertured ears cut from the metal of the base plate and bent upwardly and away from each other, a swivel bracket made of a single piece of metal and having a top wall portion from which opposed portions are bent downwardly, then outwardly, and then downwardly again to provide apertured ears lying against the inner surfaces of the upstanding ears and pivoted thereto, said "bracket also having opposed apertured ears bent down from the top wall portion and carrying a transverse rivet to which are hinged a pair of semi-tubular, complementary handle connectors having tongues to receive the ends of the transverse rivet, and said connectors together fonming a rachet to receive one end of a handle, and being formed with diametrically opposed holes to receive a bolt adapted to pass through a diametric hole in the end of the handle wrested into said socket.

Brief summary of the invention This invention relates to swivel handle connectors for backs of brushes, mops or other household cleaning utensils.

An object of this invention is to provide a swivel handle connector of the character described which shall be strong and rugged, which shall comprise few and simple parts, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, which may be comfortably manipulated, and which shall yet be practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

Brief description 0 the several views of the drawing In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a top view of a swivel handle connector embodying the invention with the connector swung down;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIG. 1, applied to a brush back and handle;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

Detailed description of the invention Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a swivel handle connector embodying the invention, shown in FIG. 2 connected to a back 11 of a brush 12 and with a handle 13 also attached thereto.

The swivel handle connector 10 comprises a metal base member 15 having a base plate 16 of generally square shape, but with its side edges 17 curved and connected by curved corner edges 18. Near each corner edge 18 is a hole 19 to receive screws, bolts or other fastening members 20 to attach member 15 to the back 11 of the brush 12 or other utensil. Extending upwardly from the fiat plate 16 are a pair of spaced, parallel, aligned ears 22 cut from the metal of the base plate and bent upwardly and outwardly about parallel corners 23, to produce openings 24 disposed between said ears. Said ears 22 have aligned round apertures or openings 25. Thus the ears are spaced relatively far apart.

Hinged to said apertured cars 22, in the manner hereinafter explained, in a swivel bracket 30. Bracket 30 is made of a single piece of sheet metal and comprises a rectangular portion 31 from which similar symmetrical arms extend. Arms 32 comprise parallel portions 33 bent at right angles to wall portion 31. Extending outwardly from portion 33, are inclined shoulder portions 34 from the outer ends of which extend parallel finger portions 35 lying against the inner surfaces of cars 22 and formed with aligned apertures or openings 36 registering with apertures 25. Rivets 38 pass through registering openings 25, 36. These may comprise oval head, tubular rivets.

Wavy spring washers 40 may be interposed between the outer heads of said rivets 38 and the outer surfaces of said cars 22.

Also extending from said wall portion 31 are a pair of parallel, opposed flanges or cars 42 at right angles to portions 33 and contacting the outer side edges 33a thereof. Ears 42 are formed with aligned openings 43 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Bars 42 are substantially coextensive with said portions 33. Notches 31a are formed at the four corners of wall 31 to facilitate bending of portions 33, 42.

Hinged to said bracket 30 is a handle receiving socket or connector to receive and to be attached to one end of the handle 13 inserted thereinto.

Socket 50 comprises a pair of similar, symmetrically disposed socket parts 51. Each part 51 comprises a semicylindrical portion 52 having a semi-circular end edge 53, and parallel longitudinal edges 54. When said parts 51 are assembled, edges 54 of one part contact edges 54 of the other part.

Each semi-cylindrical wall is formed, near semi-circular edge 53, with a circular flat wall 55 having a central round hole 56. The flat walls 55 are formed by pressing the metal of said parts 51 outwardly. Extending through said holes, 56 is the shank 57 of a bolt 58. Said bolt 58 has a round head 59 at one end contacting one fiat wall 55. The outer end of the shank 57 is threaded. The threaded end of said shank passes through the hole 56 in the other fiat wall 55. A wing nut 60 is screwed to te threaded outer end of the shank. A look washer 61 is interposed between the wing nut 60 and said other flat wall 55.

Each part 51 has a flat longitudinal tongue 64 at the end thereof opposite to end edge 53. The tongues 64 contact the outer surfaces of walls 42 and have apertures or openings 65 registering with openings 43. Extending through both sets of registering openings 43, 65, is a rivet 66 passing between walls 33. The rivet 66 has heads 67 contacting the outer surfaces of tongues 64. The fact that walls 42 contact side edges of walls 33 facilitates riveting. Thus, the socket members 51 are swivelled to the bracket. Tongues 64 have outer round edges 64a which merge with outwardly inclined edges 64b, which, in turn, merge with edges 64c extending to the ends of longitudinal edges 54. The shank 57 of bolt 58 passes through a suitable diametric hole in the handle 13 to attach the socket to said handle.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an article in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A swivel connector comprising a base member having a base plate, and a pair of apertured ears extending upwardly from said base plate, a bracket made of a single piece and comprising a top wall from which extend downwardly, a pair of similar, symmetrical arms, means to pivotally connect said arms to said ears, and said bracket further comprising a pair of parallel flanges extending down from said top wall, at right angles thereto and at right angles to said arms, said pair of parallel flanges contacting side edges of said arms, and a socket having a tubular portion to receive a handle, and tongues, and means to pivotally connect said tongues to said pair of parallel flanges.

2. The combination of claim 1, said arms comprising a pair of parallel portions extending down from said top wall at right angles thereto, shoulder portions extending outwardly from said parallel portions, and parallel finger portions extending downwardly from said shoulder portions and contacting said ears, said means to pivotally connect said arms to said ears comprising means to pivotally connect said finger portions to said ears.

3. The combination of claim 2, said ears being cut from the base plate, and the openings in the base plate from which said ears are cut, being located between said ears.

4. The combination of claim 2, said pair of finger portions being located at the inner surfaces of said ears.

5. The combination of claim 3, said pair of flanges contacting the side edges of said pair of parallel portions, said pair of finger portions lying against the inner surfaces of said ears and said means to pivotally connect said tongues to said parallel flanges comprising a rivet passing through said parallel flanges and tongues and being located between said pair of parallel portions.

6. The combination of claim 5, said socket comprising a pair of similar, complementary connector members having semi-cylindrical portions formed with semi-circular end edges at one end, and mutually contacting longitudinal edges, and said tongues being located at the opposite ends of said connector members.

7. The combination of claim 6, said connector members being provided with diametrically opposed fiat portions having openings, and a bolt passing through said openings and adapted to pass through a diametric opening in a portion of a handle inserted into said socket.

8. The combination of claim 1, and said means to pivotally connect said tongues to said parallel flanges comprising a rivet passing through said flanges and tongues and located between said pair of parallel portions.

9. The combination of claim 1, said socket comprising a pair of similar, complementary connector members having semi-cylindrical portions and formed with semicircular end edges at one end, and mutually contacting longitudinal edges, and said tongues being located at the opposite ends of said connector members.

10. The combination of claim 9, said connector members being provided with diametrically opposed fiat portions having openings, and a bolt passing through said openings and adapted to pass through a diametric opening in a portion of a handle inserted into said socket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 916,210 3/1909 Smith -38 X 1,519,181 12/1924 Wilson 85-38 X 2,899,225 8/1959 Birr 306-ll X 3,174,172 3/1965 Rones 306-11 X 3,227,496 1/1966 Johnson 306l1 X THOMAS P. CALLAGHAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

